Slide fastener



Oct. 9, 1951 SOAVE 2,571,072

SLIDE FASTENER Filed Oct. 22, 1948 gwuem tom JOHN SOAVE yw mm flsv Patented st. 9, 1951 SLIDE FASTENER John G. Soave, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor to Waldes Kohinoor, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 22, 1948, Serial No. 55,981

2 Claims.

This invention relates to slide fasteners, and more particularly to an improved bottom closure therefor.

As is generally known, conventional slide fasteners comprise two tapes provided along their adjacent longitudinal edges with rows of oppositely disposed fastener elements which are en;- gaged and disengaged by a slider. Usually, the slider efl'ects engagement of the fastener elements to close the fastener in its upward movement, and disengagement of the elements to open the fastener in its downward movement. At the bottom end of the fastener opening, there is conventionally provided a bottom stop usually consisting of a metallic element clamped to the edge beads of the tapes just below the lowermost fastener elements, which functions to secure the lower ends of the tapes, to maintain the opposite fastener elements in their proper relative position, and to define the end position of the slider in its fastener opening (downward) movement.

Difficulties have been encountered in adequately anchoring such a bottom stop against the severe stresses to which it, together with the lower or crotch end of the fastener, is subjected. For example, when the slider is actuated in fastener opening direction with-a forceful pull, or when the fastener is opened by applying a heavy lateral pull to the tapes above the slider, the latter is driven against the bottom stop with substantial impact, which can result in the displacement and even impairment of the bottom stop, in pulling the fastener elements adjacent the stop loose from the tapes, and/or in tearing open the lower portion of the slider. Such condition frequently occur in fasteners used in corsets, bathing suits, trouser flies, and, in short, wherever there is a tendency of the wearer to open and/or remove a garment quickly.

Attempts have been made to protect the bottom stop and lower portion of the slide fastener against failures as aforesaid. To this end, it has been suggested to take up or cushion the stresses likely to be transmitted from the slider to the bottom stop by some supplemental means, such as by rows of stitches running across the bottom stop or alongside the entire fastener opening, by a transverse reinforcing tape disposed above the bottom stop, by a protective flap extending throughout the length of the fastener, and similar stop-gap measures. However, all such means have proved of limited usefulness for one reason or another and are moreover somewhat cumbersome and complicated in manufacture and/or application.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and secure bottom closure for a slide fastener which eliminates altogether the conventional bottom stop and thereby the disadvantages attendant to its use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bottom closure for slide fasteners which functions not only to arrest movement of the slider at its end or fastener opening position but which is moreover adapted to take up and cushion the stresses applied to the bottom end of the fastener. or on the fastener tapes adjacent the closed bottom end of the fastener, consequent to the slider reaching its fastener-opening end position under an excessive pull.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a bottom closure for slide fasteners characterized by the employment of a cross tape applied to the rear of the fastener at the lower end thereof and which operates to form a stoppocket which is capable of accommodating the slider when the latter is moved to its bottom or fastener-opening end position and which at the same time cooperates with the fastener tapes in absorbing the stresses exerted on the lower crotch end of the fastener resulting from quick opening movement of the slider, as well as in preventing over-spreading of the fastener tapes.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, in which latter Fig. 1 is a plan view of a slide fastener which has been longitudinally twisted to expose the improved bottom closure of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and which further illustrates the edges of the garment placket to which the slide fastener is afiixed; and

Fig. 3 is a part-sectional side view of the fastener illustrating the slider in a near-end position in which it is accommodated in the pocket formed by a bottom closureaccording to the invention.

The slide fastener illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises two tapes H), H provided along their adjacent longitudinal edges with rows of oppositely disposed fastener elements l2, 13 which are adapted to be engaged and disengaged by a slider It provided with a pull tab I5 for its operation. The illustrated fastener is one in which the fastener elements are engaged, and the fastener thereby closed, in the upward movement of the slider, disengagement of the elements and opening of the fastener resulting from slider movement in the opposite or downward direction. Ofttimes, such a fastener is opened by applying a quick downward pull to the slider, or by applying lateral pull to the tapes II), II above the slider, thereby in effect stripping the fastener apart. Under both modes of opening, the slider is driven with substantial impact force against such means as are provided for stopping the slider in its lowermost or fastener-opening end position.

According to the present invention, a slide fastener as aforesaid is provided with a bottom closure which not only serves as an end stop for the slider but also as a means for absorbing the stresses exerted on the lower portion of the fastener, and more particularlyon the' tapes adjacent the closed end of the fastener consequent to the quick opening thereof, as aforesaid. As seen in Fig. 1. the improved bottom closure is applied wholly to the rear of the fastener and comprises a simple piece of fabric, preferably a fabric tape or "bar tack" I6 having appreciable depth, arranged to extend transversely of the fastener and to cover some of the lower fastener elements as well as to extend somewhat below the lowermost fastener elements of the rows thereof. The aforesaid cross tape I6 is aifixed at its upper edge to the tapes II), II by verticall disposed stitches II, I8 which are well spaced outwardly from the edges of the tapes which carry the elements. Additionally, the cross tape I6 is secured to the fastener tapes I and II by a double row of stitches I9 applied in the form of a U, the stitches running downwardly from the upper edge of the cross tape in vertical lines substantially parallelling the line of elements and which are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the width of the slider I4, and thence in a cross line I9a across the gap between the tapes and just below the lowermost fastener elements. Thus, the cross line I9a of the stitches I 9 serves as a stop for the slider I4, whereas, by the arrangement of stitches I9 in the form of a U, the portion of the cross tape enclosed thereby forms an upwardly opening pocket 24 (Fig. 3) which is adapted to re-' 'ceive the lower and rear portions of the slider when the latter is moved to its fastener-opening end position. As seen in Fig. 2, the cross tape I6 is additionally secured to the tapes I0 and II by stitches 22, 23 applied when the fastener is sewed to the edges 20, 2I of a garment placket.

Through the provision of a bottom closure as described, the conventional bottom stop may be dispensed with, as the double row of stitches I9, and particularly the cross line I911 of such stitches, provides adequate means for arresting the slider in its fastener-opening end position as it moves into the pocket 24 formed by said stitches I9. Moreover, the stitches I9 defining the slider stop-pocket function to take up the stresses likel to be exerted by the slider on the crotch end of the fastener, as well as to prevent the lower ends of the tapes I0, II from being spread farther apart than is necessary for complete opening of the fastener. It is also a feature of the invention that the bottom closure means of the invention is virtually invisible from the front of the fastener, except for the stitches II, II and I9.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the invention provides a bottom closure for slide fasteners of utmost simplicity which, in addition to being inconspicuous, is thoroughly practical and effective, in that it provides the function of a bottom stop as well as a means for relieving the stresses likely to be applied to the fastener by e!- cessive forces resulting from the quick opening of the fastener.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes provided along their adjacent longitudinal edges with rows of oppositely disposed fastener elements, a slider for engaging and disengaging said elements. and a bottom closure therefor comprising a cross tape lying against the rear face of the fastener tapes in position such that it covers some of the lower fastener elements and extends below the lowermost fastener elements, a row of stitches securing the cross tape to the fastener tapes, said row of stitches running downwardly from the upper edge of the cross tape and transversely across the adjacent edges of the tapes below said lowermost fastener elements, the portion of the cross tape enclosed by the row of stitches forming an upwardly opening pocket adapted to receive the lower and rear portions of the slider when the latter is moved to its fastener-opening end position, the stitches extending across the tapes functioning as a bottom stop for said slider.

2. A slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes provided along their adjacent longitudinal edges with rows of oppositely disposed fastener elements, a slider for engaging and disengaging said elements, and a bottom closure therefor comprising a cross tape aflixed adjacent its upper edge to the fastener tapes in position such that it covers some of the lower fastener elements and extends below the lowermost fastener elements, a row of stitches further securing the cross tape to the fastener tapes, said row of stitches extending in the form of a U and running downwardly from the upper edge of the cross tape in vertical lines substantially parallelling the rows of fastener elements and which are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the width of the slider, and thence in a transverse line across the adjacent edges of the fastener tapes and just below said lowermost fastener elements, the portion of the cross tape enclosed by the row of stitches forming an upwardly opening pocket for receiving the slider in its fastener-opening end position and said transverse line of stitches defining said end position.

JOHN G. SOAVE.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,990,464 Silberman Feb. 5, 1935 2,058,059 Carp Oct. 20, 1936 2,141,006 Marinsky Dec. 20, 1938 2,232,332 Levy Feb. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 440,781 Great Britain of 1936 

